A New Program to Help Businesses Keep Downtown Clean!

The Red Deer Downtown Business Association employs a Clean Team that provides litter control and streetscape maintenance of downtown’s public areas.  Downtown businesses and property owners who are looking for assistance in keeping their property tidy will have a new option this spring.

Vested Interest is a new initiative of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Central Alberta Region (CMHA). Vested Interest will train and employ individuals with disabilities to perform outdoor, street-level, micro-cleaning and indoor micro-cleaning in both residential and commercial properties in the downtown.  Outdoor micro-cleaning includes litter collection from sidewalks, parking areas and private spaces including laneway accesses, entrances and vacant lots.  Snow removal and street-level window-washing services are also available.

The Vested Interest program will operate out of A Gathering Place, a peer support clubhouse for persons with mental illness and brain injury.  The program will provide an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to receive training and earn an income while working in a supervised and supportive environment.

The program trains part-time workers who need experience and a chance to get ahead. Because Vested Interest provides a pool of trained and supervised employees as well as all necessary materials and equipment, businesses benefit by being assured of the quality of work and the flexibility and ease of purchasing a service from Vested Interest instead of employing individuals for their cleaning needs.

“The Downtown Business Association is pleased to be a partner in this new initiative that provides a hand-up, not a hand-out, to persons with disabilities while providing downtown businesses with an easy to access solution to keeping downtown clean and attractive.  It’s a win-win program for downtown,” says Laura Turner, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association.

Downtown businesses can contact Tim Hafso, Vested Interest Coordinator, at 403.304.7662